Katie Pfotzer | Echo
No one is who they seem in Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap."
The play opens with a young couple fulfilling their lifelong dream of opening their own bed and breakfast. Soon a snowstorm hits, trapping the couple and an eclectic group of guests right as information comes from police that one of the guests may be a murderer.
The plot unfolds with the dubious pasts of the guests.
"You do not know much about him besides the fact that he is this bizarre, shady guy," junior Steven Mantel, who plays Mr. Paravicini said.
In fact, "bizarre" could be a fitting description for every character in this play. But that does not stop people from having a favorite.
Freshman Kipp Miller portrays one such favorite character, Christopher Wren.
"I loved Christopher Wren from the moment I read his lines," sophomore Madeline Logan said. "I just thought he was so charming and really odd. But I love that about him. He really owns his oddities."
Logan herself portrays one of the main characters, Mollie Ralston, proprietor of the bed and breakfast where the play is set.
If there is one thing that "The Mousetrap" is known for, it is the twists and turns that permeate the performance.
Written by Agatha Christie, the acclaimed author of "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile," the play is highly esteemed. Originally performed in London with Richard Attenborough in the leading role, the play often attracts A-list audience members such as Quentin Tarantino.
The play itself is mired in mystery. As the longest-running performance on West End, "Mousetrap" celebrated it's 25,000th performance in 2012 and has not left the London stage for over 60 years according to the official Agatha Christie website.
In order to preserve the mystery, the play's contract stipulates that a movie version cannot be made until six months after the play completes its run.
"Agatha Christie was one of the main influences of the genre," Mantel said. "Suspense has always been used as a way of storytelling but obviously some people use it better than others and Agatha Christie uses it in its peak form."
Though West End ran the show for 60 years, Taylor will only put on six shows between April 26 and May 5.
In the meantime, suspect everyone.
